First off, I would like to thank everyone who has ever visited my blog. The response to this blog is overwhelming! Not to mention, it has kept me on my toes responding to questions, comments and general interest. Everyone has been so kind, encouraging and very, very supportive. I would have never thought it would grow so big and so fast. It really has been fun!
Now, my final thoughts on this challenge...
I thought it was going to be really easy to do one collage per day. How long could that take? All I really wanted to do was spend some quality time in my dream studio. I wanted to do art everyday! So I can up with this idea loosely based on the popular inchie. That was way too small for me. I had some experience working on 2x2 collages that I made into magnets that are on a stainless steel bulletin board in my office. I placed it on the wall that faces my desk. My thought was to rearrange them every so often and have a cool new piece of art. That size was ok but I need more room to express all that I wanted to create. So, I settled on the 3x3 size. I found a seller on ebay that I could have the 3x3 chipboard pieces cut. I order around 400. That left some wiggle room for mistakes. The chipboard worked out great with my glue of choice, gel medium in matte. I thought this was a wonderful way to use up all my scraps of paper and to use up all the supplies that I have collected over the years. I pretty much thought I really wouldn't have to buy anything! WRONG!!! I ended up buying more stuff to inspire me. So, this is not a good way to use up your scraps or supplies.
There were many nights that on my way up to bed did I remember to make my collage for the day! I gonna be honest here...I was able to keep this up till around the middle of August. Until then, I truthfully made a collage every day. Some days I worked on more than one. Some days I worked on many in different stages, always having a background drying as I worked on another. Sometime I had bit and pieces that went together without a background in mind. After August, there were times that I was days, weeks and sometimes even a month behind. Around this time I somehow got stuck. I couldn't find images to work with. I had no magazines, as I had already cut them up and used them. I found myself cutting up mags that I hadn't even read yet! I would save and cut out anything and everything that I could get my hands on. But I kept on...trying desperately trying to catch up. I had Oct. Nov. and Dec. What great months with a theme. Well, sometimes that didn't help! I really, really struggled thought Oct. and Nov. December was a breeze because I had saved some Christmas cards that we had gotten at work. I slammed out Dec. and even finished a couple of days early! Even though all the Christmas decorating and Christmas shopping!
The thought of not completing this challenge never even crossed my mind. I had come to far to quit, plus...I started this blog and everyone was watching!!!
I bought an 11 x 14 portfolio as the final resting place for my collages. I decide to have a photobook made of them as soon as I find a source that I like and that is not to expensive. There are sooo many of them. Maybe shutterfly or photoworks.com? Not sure yet.
In conclusion, I really glad that I did this challenge. It got me in the studio mostly everyday. I used up some of my supplies and added to others. I found out that people really liked my stuff and I feel somewhat validated as artist! Everyone is always so generous with their projects and sharing of themselves and their blogs, that this is my way of sharing, too.
Thanks again to all who have followed me on this journey.
I hoped that I have inspired you in some way...
Stay tuned for my 2009 Project 365. Details to follow...
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